Hello Actors, How do you get an IMDb?

Question

How do you get into SAG and AFTRA

Answer 1

okay diverse you are not too far off on your answer (and don't worry, you'll get off level one and it will seem like a distant memory!)

There are a few different ways to get into SAG (the screen Actors Guild). You can:

1. Work a principle job under a SAG contract. A principle job is almost always defined as a job where you have at least a line. (You can have a part with lines that are cut, it still counts, and you can sometimes have an important principle part on camera - say in a commercial where you are the main person eating the sandwich and it counts - but extra work does not apply to this rule. It's not a guess, it's determined beforehand in your contract - there is a big difference between a principle role and an extra role. Occasionally an extra role can be "bumped" up to a principle role but this is so random it isn't worth hanging your career on.)
2. You can join through extra work. (Didn't I just say you couldn't? read on.) If you work 3 days as a union extra and receive a union voucher, you will qualify for the union.
3. You can join by being a member of a sister union. Meaning, if you are a member of Actor's Equity, AFTRA or... um... AGMA? or something you can join. There are exceptions to this which I'll mention below.

Unfortunately for the beginning actor trying to get their union card, none of these routes are a piece of cake. You can (like Diverse's dad) get lucky but it is mainly a matter of hard work and good auditions (or being very gorgeous, which in of itself is hard work when you think about all that dieting and hours at the gym.) There are also lots of levels of union contract and not all of them qualify you for union membership (like the new low budget contracts.) also, on extra work - it must be a union job. You can work 365 days a year as a non-union extra and it means nothing for union membership. You must have a union voucher to join this way. (a set, say a major feature film, will have both union and non-union extras on set. They are required to have up to a certain # of union people and then after that can fill up crowd scenes with much cheaper non-union workers.) so being on a SAG film as a non-union extra doesn't mean you are doing SAG work is my point.

Okay, Joining AFTRA:

1. Find your local AFTRA office and pay them money. Yes, it's an open union.
2. You can also join by booking a principle job or through a sister union, just as with SAG.

The loophole is closed though - you can't join AFTRA and then join all the other sister unions without ever working. You've got to have worked at least one principle job in AFTRA to then join in a sister union.

IMDB credits are generally done by the producing company and your name is added to the database automatically after you film something. It's not necessarily accurate, like others I have missing credits and I also know people who fake credits. They are doing a new service where you can pay to put in a bio and links and pictures. It might be worth it, a lot of people look at IMDB.

About the unions, the real question to ask yourself - if you are just starting out - do you need to be in a union? I would recommend against it. Union rules will prohibit you from performing in any non-union production, and these are likely the jobs you need to build your resume and gain experience.

You should also understand what the Taft-Hartley Act is. The Taft-Hartley Act is one of those stupid acts you learn about in 11th grade US history and think "when the heck am I ever going to need to know THAT?" and here it is, all relevant. The Taft-Hartley Act means you can work a single union job WITHOUT having to join the union. You have a 30 day window so actually you could work for 30 days from the date of your first union job union, and then stop working and not have to join. However, if after that 30 day period you work another Union job, you are required to join the union immediately. This is known as being a must-join or being "Taft-hartleyed." If you find yourself in this situation you would refer to yourself as being "SAG eligible" and would write something like "SAG-e" on top of your resume.

check the links to union websites that others have posted for further questions.

Answer 2

Imdb Dark City

Answer 3

IMDB registers you automatically when you have a casted part in a movie. You don't have to do anything.

You have to sign up for SAG and AFTRA though, go to their website and find out how.

Answer 4

If you're credited in a motion picture for Film/TV, (Cast, Crew, etc.) then you'll usually make the IMDb. Sometimes not,... I have a few screen credits that do NOT show on IMDb.

You can also report Errors/Omissions that I assume is verified by the IMDb staff.

It's a GREAT resource,... but in no way exhaustive,.. It IS getting better every day, though.

Answer 5

The Other Sister Imdb

Answer 6

My dad's in SAG. I forget exactly how he did it, but you have to complete 3 categories. I believe you have to be on two nationally syndicated shows or films or commercial, and one speaking type thing that's syndicated. I know that what he did was speak on a radio program for advertising for a pizza company, and that got him in (the third one). He actually got lucky.

I know I'm way off as far as the details are concerned, but I'm just going off memory. I'm mainly entering this in for points.

Answer 7

As a producer you can get your name into IMDb. But it will cost you at least $100. Check out the link.

Answer 8

Dark City. The Prestige

Answer 9

Was on Yahoo Answers for something unrelated, but this topic was shown on the sidebar...

Answer 10

Lots of great answers already for this